Wednesday, July 27, 2011

I used spritzed Radiant Rain Shimmering Mist - Egyptian Gold on brown card stock to make my background. I found gold paper to match and glued it to another paper to make it heavier. I cut the frame with my Sizzix Retro Frame original die. I mounted the background paper on an ivory card then cut the coffee mug with the Cricut -Graphically Speaking cartridge in ivory as well. I stamped the sentiment with Chocolate Chip ink with Hero Arts stamp. I applied a bit of ink to the ivory to make it less stark then I added some walnut ink on the "coffee" in the mug with a paint brush. I repeated the dark brown in the 3 brads in the upper left corner.

Monday, July 25, 2011

This a large card. I started with an 8.5x11 folded in half then trimmed it to the envelope size. I chose a turquoise card based on the colors in the decorative paper. The background paper is tissue paper ironed to freezer paper. I selected the flower colors based on the background paper - purple and pink. I cut the flowers with my spellbinder Sunflower die as well as the centre. I mounted the centre with 3D glue dots. I added the large gold brad in the upper right hand corner and small ones in the other three corners. I put a pink Happy Birthday on the insert.

Freezer paper is the brown paper used by butchers. The plastic coating provides a barrier to air and moisture to protect the quality, flavor and nutrition of foods during freezing. Reynolds sells it in white on a roll.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

I made another Christmas card kit for a silent auction at a family reunion this summer.
I used a parchment card stock cut to 5.5x8.5" which is folded in half. I trimmed the decorative plaid paper to be 1/8" smaller than the card front. The tree is cut with a Sizzix die from moss green paper. It has been chalked green on the tree and brown on the trunk. I added burgundy balls (.25 punched shapes) to it. I created the greeting and color printed it onto parchment paper and punched it with 1.25" punch. It is layered onto a 1 3/8" moss green layer then onto the burgundy scallop. I glued the Christmas tree onto the card front then added the scallop greeting. The burgundy sequin star is held in place with a glue dot.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

CST Challenge #10 is a card with a special fold. I selected a gate-fold for this card. A pink card with gingham decorative paper on the two halves of the card front. White scallop is cut with Nestabilities and the gingham layer is cut with coordinating circle dies. The baby carriage was cut from Cricut Graphically Speaking cartridge with shadow in pink and the outline in white. I ensured the gingham on the scallop was opposite the card direction to provide more contrast. The insert is just a quarter sheet with sentiment printed in pink.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

I created this card for the CST challenge this week which was use black and white with splash of color. I started with a black card and added a white embossed layer (Cuttlebug - Floral Fantasy) trimmed to just a bit smaller than the card. Then I cut a die with the Sizzix Flourish in black and cut again the hearts in hot pink. I thought it worked well with the hearts and flourishes on the embossed layer. I glued it down and added my hot pink hearts. It was for someone having a birthday so I added a stamped greeting in hot pink and smudged the edge with a black ink pad.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

I made this card following a sketch challenge. I bought this metallic copper ribbon on clearance and I'm learning why it might have been on sale. It's been the hardest thing to work into a design because I've not been able to find something else that matches.

I started with an olive green card cut 4.25x11" and scored in half to make a top fold card. I added the copper ribbon knot at the top (tacked with a glue dot) and a length near the bottom held in place with a bit of double sided tape and scotch tape on the inside. The sketch had scallops near the bottom so I cut a border with Die-namics die in dark brown. I laid this over the copper ribbon. I cut 2 yellow pears and the stem and leaf with a QuicKutz die from the same dark brown. Added a bit of accent on the bottom with a brown marker.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

I made another Christmas Card Stack kit. I used Always Artichoke card with coordinating Designer paper from Stampin Up! I cut the paper to 5.25x4.00" then cut it again at 3.75 giving me 2 pieces 4.00x1.5 and 4.00x3.75. As the paper is double sided I turned one of them over. Once I have the layout I wanted I turned them over and tape them together to have a piece that is 4.00x5.25". I glued this decorative paper layer onto the card front. I placed the ribbon along the join of the papers to determine the placement of a slit in the fold of the card just the width of the ribbon. Pull one end through the slit and tape to the inside of the card. Turn the card over to have the card front facing you. You may want to add a bit of glue to the back of the ribbon and glue it over the joint of the papers. Wrap the ribbon end around the card edge and glue it to the inside of the card with tape. The red velvet flower accent has 2 glue dots on the back. Remove the release paper and place the flower accent as desired. Check out available card kits.

Friday, July 1, 2011

I chose Mexico for this challenge. Which country would you choose? Father Christmas from England or SinterKlass from the Netherlands? What tradition did you grew up with? Leave me a comment.

Did you know that poinsettias come from Mexico? The plant is named for the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced America to the poinsettia in 1828, after discovering it in the wilderness in southern Mexico. So what does a poinsettia have to do with Christmas? A Mexican legend tells of a girl who could only offer weeds as a gift to Jesus on Christmas Eve. When she brought the weeds into a church, they blossomed into the beautiful red plants we know as poinsettias, known as Flores de Noche Buena in Mexico (Spanish for "flowers of the holy night").

Cards on-line used a lot of bright colors so I selected a medium blue for the card. I stamped the five petal poinsettias in red with a set from Stampin Up then embossed them with Candy Red powder then used the matching punch on them. I used Green Galore for the leaves and held them in place with a tiny white brad. The tree which was embossed with the Victorian folder. I added a yellow star at the top of the tree. Color printed the greeting in red.